Jasconius
Legends from the Old World tell of "moving islands" that drift across the sea. Some say that these "moving islands" were actually massive beasts older than time itself. Stories claim that when sailors unwittingly camped on one of these "living islands", the sensation of a burning campfire on its back would cause the beast to suddenly sink beneath the waves and drown the unfortunate souls. Most residents of the Outer Kingdoms consider such legends to be exaggerated rumors at best or the fantastical tall-tales of deluded and superstitious sea-farers at worst. What VERY few inividuals know, however, is that the stories of living islands are partially true, and that the source of these legends is a massive aquatic species called the Jasconius. Like an aquatic version of the World Snake, the Jasconius is so large that its body has become a geographical feature, appearing as nothing more than a small island. The exact details of this creature's true anatomy is mostly unknown, since most of its body is either underwater or covered with plant life. However, based on the rare eye-witness accounts that have been documented, it can be guessed that the jasconius shares some features of sea turtles and fish, as they have at least one pair of large flippers, a hump-shaped shell about the size of a small mountain, and a thick tail. Since no one has been able to get a good enough look at a jasconius' head (one account tells of a pony sailor going for a swim near the north side of an island and witnessing a massive eye open right in front of him), it is unknown whether it breaths air or with gills (or, as some believe, a combination of both). A single jasconius supports an entire ecosystem: trees that have grown for millenia on the shelled backs of these mighty beasts provide a safe place for numerous birds to thrive, while a multitude of fishes and aquatic invertabrates flourish in multi-colored coral reefs growing on the creatures' sides and flippers. Sharks and whales have been sighted near what is later learned to be a "moving islands", but other oceanic monsters like krakens, ophiotaurii, and scyllas seem to naturally avoid a jasconius, perhaps out of fear of becoming food for the giant island-beast. It is unknown how such a massive creature is able to sustain itself, but some have hypothesized that the jasconius doesn't need to eat and that is somehow able to gain nourishment from the photosynthesis done by the many plants and trees that grow on its body. It is unknown how or if a jasconius is able to breed, but some stories claims that the species only lay their eggs once every million years (because when you're older than time and too big to kill you, can afford to wait). Some stories even claim that the Jasconius species may not even be a true animal, but an actual island that Ley energy has somehow brought to life, though even among those who believe in the jasconius' existance most dismiss this possibility for sounding "just plain silly". The jasconius is a rare breed that is constantly moving, making them very difficult to find for such a massive creature (there are probably less than 10 of them scattered across the Old World). This is part of the reason why this creature is considered to be nothing more than a tall-tale by the general population. For the rare few that do believe the stories or have seen this creature firsthand, much of what is known or thought to be known is debated. The encounters that sea-faring individuals have with a jasconius happen completely by chance and to see or even or set foot/claw/hoof on one of these creatures is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Unless the creature drifts within sight of land or is viewed from above, unknowing observers usually don't even realize that the "island" they're standing on is actually moving (to be fair, a jasconius swims at a very slow pace and when ships drop anchor they usually end up hooking onto the creature's shell or flipper). Category:Creatures Category:Lore Category:Sea Monsters Category:Elementals Category:Kaiju